Paramount begins layoffs, planning to cut 2,000 jobs following Skydance merger
Media conglomerate Paramount began laying off 1,000 U.S. employees Wednesday, the first phase of a planned 2,000 job cuts following its merger with Skydance.
October 29, 2025 - 12:00 PM ET • 2 min read
Paramount, the media conglomerate, began a large-scale round of layoffs on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, eliminating approximately 1,000 U.S.-based positions in the initial phase. These cuts are part of a broader plan to reduce the company's workforce by 2,000 employees, representing roughly 10% of the combined company staff, following its merger with Hollywood studio Skydance Media.
Paramount CEO David Ellison confirmed the job cuts in a memo to employees Wednesday morning. Ellison stated that the initial round of cuts would soon be followed by at least another 1,000 layoffs, some of which will affect Paramount's international employees.
The layoffs were described by company leadership as a necessary consequence of the merger and a key component of restructuring the organization. Paramount had previously promised $2 billion in cost-cutting measures following the successful merger with Skydance.
In his memo, Ellison explained that the goal was to build a "strong, future-focused company" which required "significant change." He detailed the rationale behind the specific roles being eliminated.
"In some areas, we are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization," Ellison wrote. "In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities."
Ellison emphasized the difficulty of the decision, noting that the choices were "never made lightly, especially given their effect on our colleagues who have made meaningful contributions to the company."
The initial round of cuts affected numerous divisions across the conglomerate. U.S.-based jobs were eliminated across the television, film, streaming, and corporate divisions.
Specific areas impacted include CBS News, the Paramount film studio, and cable networks such as MTV, Nickelodeon, and BET.
Staffers at CBS News had been anticipating the long-expected cuts for months. While the company declined to provide a specific number, the layoffs are expected to affect a significant number of news division employees, though likely less than 100 people. One concerned CBS News staffer, speaking anonymously, described the process as "nerve-racking," adding that "no one is safe."
The layoffs position Paramount alongside other major U.S. companies that have recently undertaken large-scale job reductions. The remaining 1,000 cuts are expected to be implemented in subsequent rounds.